How to Make Ground Almonds

Ground almonds -- or almond meal -- provide a tasty, healthy and versatile ingredient in many recipes. Ground almonds serve as gluten-free substitutes in baked goods, crumble and spice rub for fried meat. They are not readily available in most grocery stores, but you can prepare ground almonds in less than five minutes. Ground almonds are also a primary ingredient for almond milk or butter. It takes only a few steps to make ground almonds, but it does require some culinary skills, or you may end up with almond butter.

Things You'll Need

Almonds

Food processor

Rolling pin (optional)

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Process the Almonds

Put about 1/2 cup of whole almonds into a food processor. It's important to process the almonds in 1/2-cup batches so that they grind to a more even consistency.

Pulse the food processor for 10 seconds. Stop at three-second intervals and tap the side of the food processor bowl so that the almonds fall toward the blade.

Transfer the ground almonds into a bowl.

Rolling Pin Method

Place the almonds -- preferably broken into chunks -- between two sheets of paraffin paper.

Move the rolling pin back and forth across the nuts until they are ground evenly.

Hold the bottom paraffin paper at both ends and tip the ground almonds into a bowl.

Storing Ground Almonds

Store ground almonds in an airtight container. Place the almonds in a cool, dry, dark place and use them within three months.

Tip

Chill the almonds and the food-processor blade in the freezer to help prevent making almond butter instead of ground almonds. Do not process the almonds for too long or they may turn into a paste.

Smaller chunks of almonds grind better. Almonds are hard nuts and may not grind evenly with a poor-quality food processor. Put the almonds in a sealable plastic bag and bash them with a kitchen mallet until they are in smaller chunks before putting them in a food processor.

For almond flour, use blanched almonds and use a flour sifter to sift the almond meal.